At the Ann Arbor Arts Festival this last week, I purchased a bracelet from an artist, Devin Johnson, who repurposes objects into jewelry. This bracelet was at one time an unusual two-sided metal ruler. The inside of the bracelet shows normal inch markings (see photo below) from left to right. The outside counts upwards to 66, but counting from right to left (see photo above). Also each side is configured upside down from the other. Because the inside shows 6 to 11 inches, my guess is that the original ruler went up to 72 inches, so was a yardstick. I’m not clear what purpose the reversal yardstick served, but was equally intrigued that its outside count reflects my journey toward retirement.
JB is going to make a sliding piece of brass for the bracelet, to mark the way as I “inch” the distance toward 66 — three years from now. And anyone who has any ideas about what this ruler was once used for, would satisfy my genuine curiosity about the reversal (in both directions) of the numbers on the outside.
Nexus 